Amador County – A local woman delivered a summons for a court injunction to the Amador County Board of Supervisors Tuesday to stop a sale of the Amador Cannonball replica train, also called the Emma Sweeney.
Local resident John Queirolo urged Supervisors not to go through with the sale, saying: “I brought a cashier’s check for $5,000, I am working on getting mining equipment, and I am offering to pay $500 a year in rent” to keep the Amador Cannonball at the Museum grounds. He met the offer of Duragno Railroad Historical Society, though Supervisors at their Aug. 9 meeting approved a contract for the exchange of donations.
He said he wants to keep the movie train prop in Amador County, noting that it is 61 years old, was restored by Pine Grove Camp, and has been here for 31 years, three generations of children. Queirolo said it can be a destination for movies crews. His daughter, Diane Bennett said she was really upset, and did not see the train donation on the agenda for the Aug. 9 meeting. She said people need to know, so they can speak to the issue.
Bennett said the county can make money from films, and missed out on about $100,000 several years ago, when the remake of Wild Wild West wanted to use the train. It could not be removed, so they rented a train from Sacramento Railroad Museum.
Bennett also said selling the train went against rules for removing government “surplus” because it did not out for bids.
Both spoke during “public matters not on the agenda,” then Bennet said “you are receiving a summons right now,” handing it to County Counsel Martha Shaver.
Bennett said they need to keep things legal, and it “seems very underhanded” the way they came out with a contract with the Durango, Colorado group. She said selling the train opens the door to doubt for other families who have donated items to the Museum.
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said two members of the Amador County Historical Society were against donating the train, but their votes changed after a presentation in April by Durango Historical Railroad Society President George Niederauer. One of them, former Museum Curator Georgia Fox, spoke at the meeting after Niederauer and said she supported the donation.
Queirolo said he was the main negotiator and donor of the train to the county, through Ray Finegold, in 1980, and the contract called for it to stay in the county.
Plasse said “there were two publicly advertised meetings before this board” to discuss the train donation, and the Board OK’d a draft agreement, which was approved Aug. 9.
Bennett said they were to be in Amador Superior Court at 11 a.m. today “to get an emergency temporary restraining order against the county so that the train cannot be moved.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
